Recently, UNCDF has formulated its strategy ‘Leaving no one behind in the digital era’ based on over a decade of experience in digital finance in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. UNCDF recognizes that reaching the full potential of digital financial inclusion in support of the Sustainable Development Goals aligns with the vision of promoting digital economies that leave no one behind. The vision of UNCDF is to empower millions of people by 2024 to use services daily that leverage innovation and technology and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. For further details on UNCDF strategy, refer to; https://www.uncdf.org/article/4931/global-strategy-leaving-no-one-behind-in-the-digital-era.

As part of UNCDF’s Inclusive Digital Economy Programme (IDE), UNCDF is implementing the Digital Financial Services for Resilience programme in a number of LDCs with two broader objectives: 1) To improve digital finance policies and regulations to provide an early response to emergencies and create an enabling environment to economic recovery; 2) To create and strengthen digital finance ecosystems that support low income individuals in particular women and youth; and MSMEs to mitigate immediate shocks of emergencies and seize economic opportunities.  UNCDF has partnered with governments and private sector players in the different countries to implement the program.

The Programme Finance Specialist supervises and leads the programme finance and support staff in IDE’s digital finance projects in East and Southern Africa (ESA) and West and Central Africa region (WACA). The Programme Finance Specialist works in close collaboration with the Management Support and Finance and Management Services teams in the DFS programming countries and UNCDF HQ for resolving complex programme and operations-related issues, ensuring successful performance in Finance.

Summary of key functions:

1.           Implementation and administration of programme operational and financial strategies for IDE Programmes in ESA.

2.           Programme finance management, effective cost recovery and revenue management.

3.           Implementation of the resource mobilization strategy.

4.           Facilitation of knowledge building and sharing, guidance to all stakeholders on financial matters.

5.           coordination Audit and Assurance Activities.

6.           Oversight of Project Financing Agreements.

1. Ensures Implementation and administration of programme operational and financial strategies for IDE Programmes in ESA and WACA focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Full compliance with UNDP/UNCDF rules, regulations, and policies of financial activities, financial recording/reporting system and follow-up on audit recommendations; implementation of effective internal controls, proper functioning of a client-oriented financial resources management system.
• Analysis, planning, and monitoring of the financial situation, preparing of forecasts for programme resources, and monitoring of financial exception reports for unusual activities and transactions.
• Support Programme and Project Managers in the preparation of annual work plans and quality assurance plans.
• Finance business processes mapping and elaboration of the content of Standard Operating Procedures in Finance in consultation with office management.
• Implementation of cost sharing and financing agreements.
• Elaboration of proposals and implementation of cost-saving and reduction strategies in consultations with the programme team.
• Routinely monitors financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions, and investigates anomalies.

2. Ensures effective programme finance management, ensures the optimal cost recovery and revenue management focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Development, implementation and follow up on Programme Portfolio Pipeline.
• Programme financial resources management through planning, guiding, controlling of the resources.
• Preparation and monitoring of development projects’ budgets, project financial management and data quality in the UNCDF ERP System (Quantum).
• Prepare reports containing an analysis of the financial situation.
• Implementation of effective internal controls, proper functioning of a client-oriented financial resources management system. Identification of operational and financial problems, proposal of solutions.
• Analysis of requirements and synthesis of proposals on proper mechanisms to eliminate deficiencies in budget management.
• Ensure proper creation of projects in Quantum.
• Follow up on the GMS revenue forecasts and analysis.
• Monitoring of Combined Delivery Reports preparation, advice on relevant issues, and maintenance of a database of all CDRs.
• Monitoring of timely Operational and Financial Closure of projects, reimbursement of remaining balances to donors, and liaising with UNCDF HQ on donor reimbursements.
• Performing the functions of the Treasury/Finance in Quantum, undertaking responsibilities in line with the Internal Control Framework.
• Advice and guidance to Programme Associates and project staff on budget revisions, and assistance with specific budget-related issues.
• Exercise quality assurance for revision, including checking of correct allocation of funds between donors and consistency of approved budget with cash/ASL limits.
• Support year-end closing procedures related to development projects’ budgets.
• Support in monitoring relevant corporate key performance and dashboard indicators in the area of programme and project financial management and ensure full compliance and high performance.
• Support maintenance of the internal expenditures control system which ensures that transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Quantum.
• Review and quality assurance of donor reports as required by the financing agreements and facilitate the timely donor reporting submission.
• Support programme colleagues on the corporate partnership arrangements with different donors, cost-sharing agreements, their monitoring, and management.
• Monitoring of the Accounts Receivables for UNCDF projects and maintenance of General Ledger.
• Monitoring of cost-sharing contributions, revenue management, including all new agreements, installments, and amendments, and maintenance of the Revenue Service Request System.
• Monitoring timely receipt of contributions in accordance with the revenue plan and revenue-related dashboard indicators.

3. Ensures implementation of the resources mobilization strategy focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Elaboration of the framework and conditions of contributions within resources mobilization efforts.
• Monitoring of cost-sharing contributions.
• Advice to Programme and Project Staff on different donor reporting requirements; monitoring of financial reports to be submitted to donors.

4. Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and sharing, guidance to all stakeholders on financial matters focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Advice to Project staff on UNCDF/UNDP administrative and Financial reporting, in particular, on budgetary issues.
• Organization/conduct of training for the Operations/Project/Programme Staff on financial management and RBM.
• Synthesis of lessons learned and best practices in programme and programme finance.

5. Leads the coordination of Audit and Assurance Activities for programme teams: 

• Support the implementation of UNCDF internal control framework (ICF).
• Lead the preparation for the project audits.
• Lead the preparation for NIM and HACT audit and assurance activities in accordance with the UNSDG Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers
• Prepare with the projects teams the assurance planning and activities.
• Lead the monitoring and assurance activities in various programme countries in Africa.

6. Exercises the needed oversight of project financing agreements for the programmes in WACA and ESA: 

• Compliance review and quality assurance of project financing agreements.
• Liaise with the Programme Finance Associate in HQ to manage the data entry and updates of project financing agreements in Quantum (ERP).
• Resolve issues related to budget exceptions and deficits on a timely basis.
• Liaise with Regional Programme Quality Assurance and coordinate project operational and financial closure activities.

Institutional Arrangement

• The Programme Finance Specialist will work under the direct supervision of IDE Regional Lead in Eastern and Southern Africa to provide support for programmes executed in ESA and WACA regions with close coordination and consultation with IDE Management team in HQ.
• The contract is for 12 months with the possibility of renewal based on programmatic needs, funding and satisfactory performance.

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA

Minimum Education requirements

• A professional accounting qualification from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy, and/or Advanced (master’s) University Degree in Finance and/or Accounting is required. Candidates with professional accounting qualifications from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage.
• Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications, but with degrees that major in accountancy and/or finance must complete the Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited.
• Candidates satisfying the two above criteria are exempted from undertaking the UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT).
• Candidates with MBA or master’s in finance with no accountancy qualification but with relevant experience must successfully undertake the UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT) to be eligible for shortlisting.

Minimum years of relevant work experience                                                

• 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in providing financial management advisory services and operational systems.

Required skills

• Experience of IPSAS and/or IFRS is required for external candidates.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems and ERP financials, preferably PeopleSoft.
• UNDP Accounting and Finance Training and Certification.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

• UNDP Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) is an added value, but not required.
• Experience with UNDP or UNCDF ERP systems would be an advantage.

Required Language(s) 

• Full fluency in written and spoken English is required.